


This Crown I Now Wear

by berryvonne



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Gen, Oneshot, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 12:57:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4829930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryvonne/pseuds/berryvonne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So we'd still be the same age when I finally pass on." Reyna decides to visit someone she cares for after a very, very long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Crown I Now Wear

**Author's Note:**

> Setting: twenty years after the war against Gaea, AU.
> 
> The main plot is from a story I wrote two years ago (on Fanfiction.net), before House of Hades was released, but since I'm editing now, there are some details added that only appeared in the last two books. All mistakes are mine.

"A favour, huh?" Reyna hears Nico murmur beside her.

"Yes." She hesitates a second before continuing, "Your powers."

He shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. "Happens when your father kind of rules death."

Reyna snorts but watches Nico from the corner of her eye. Taller than her, obviously - grew a good eight inches ever since Reyna first met him, and from earlier conversation things between him and Will seem to be going well.

"So, uh...how's everyone?" Nico looks sideways at her. Gods, it still gives her that little chill, especially when it's coming from a thirty-something man. Reyna knows she's older, but still.

"Define everyone?"

She shrugs. "Everyone who survived? People both of us know?"

"Hmm," Nico shoulders his bag. "Oh, Leo and Calypso have this magic workshop that moves between Camp Half-Blood and New Rome."

"A workshop? Not surprised."

"Yeah, well, apparently he fixes stuff- restored Hep, uh, Vulcan's secret shed. They- he and Calypso- I've seen them work. Amazing."

Reyna hums in approval. "And Frank? Hazel?"

"Frank's on a quest bringing some new recruits, so he's away for a while. But they're good. Yeah. Going through shit like we all did makes you stronger."

" _Assentior."_ She agrees. Nothing changed much, not really. They walk past the familiar fountain of Jupiter, houses of white marble and red-tile roofs on either side, the little kiosks that only came to New Rome after the War.

The War. They call it that now, both Romans and Greek. A war against all the monsters they only heard of in campfire stories, in books. A war against Mother Earth. It doesn't need a name. The War is why Reyna's here, why she took a different route, told her sisters she needed to come, just a while. She knows it's dangerous to have ties with the past- knew, actually, ever since she and her sister escaped that horrible place - but she has to return, there's no staying away, ever -

"Reyna?"

Her head snaps up at the voice.

"Hey, sappiest couple in all of Rome." But she can't stop herself from smiling at the girl whom she sees herself in - well, the woman, now.

"And Greece," Percy adds.

"We're not sappy," Annabeth says at the same time.

There's hugging and how-are-yous and Annabeth rolling her eyes at a very bad joke Percy makes.

"Can you believe this guy is my-" She raises her hand, giving Reyna a better view of the golden band.

It's things like this that make the daughter of Bellona wonder. About love, about marriage, about wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone, although as a demigod, 'the rest of your life' isn't exactly a reassuring thing. But still. As she waves the new couple goodbye, her mind turns back to when everyone was sixteen, fighting for their lives and peace -

The War. The War is why she's here today, walking towards where she's walking with Nico Di Angelo by her side, until there are only the two of them on the road, until the road isn't a road anymore but a trail leading up the hill. It doesn't take her long to locate the two headstones side by side; honour positions chosen by the camps.

_Jason Grace 1993 07 01 - 2011 08 01 Sacrifice to Gaea / Praetor / Son of Jupiter_

_Piper McLean 1993 02 26 - 2011 08 01 Sacrifice to Gaea / Daughter of Aphrodite_

It hurt. It hurts. Reyna watched when the two of them walked in- just like that, into Gaea's fire that glowed purple and red, and then they were nothing. Took the monsters down with them, Reyna didn't know how, didn't want the explanation.

Jason made his decision after Thalia fell - Thalia the brave, Thalia who was turned into a pine tree, Thalia who made  _her_ decision after Zoë Nightshade went down- and Reyna made hers after Jason. A full circle. She doesn't realise there are tears involved until Nico stretches out a hand to wipe them.

"I know," She hears him say. "I know."

And Reyna wonders how many other people knows. Nico once had Bianca. Annabeth told her about a Luke Castellan. Percy broke down and cried when he mentioned Bob the nice monster who carried a little skeleton tiger on his shoulder.

She sniffs and stands back. "Ready when you are."

A small fire is lit, and although Reyna can't see what Nico put in, it smells somehow like tofu burgers. Smoke, thick smoke that certainly did not came from the fire circle the graves, coming together in humanoid shapes - _  
_

"Jason," The name escapes Reyna's lips.

The ghost shimmers, looks down at his (non-existent) feet, and grins. "Hey. Haven't aged at all, huh?"

"Very funny, Grace."

"So, uh," Ghost-Jason continues. "How's it going? Lieutenant?"

"I wish I was as good as your sister."

He laughs. "Bullshit, she says you're amazing. Oh, and Nico, I met your sister."

"You did?"

"She's very proud of you. And, uh, I am, too. Hey, by some weird coincidence, you finally look the oldest among us."

Nico rolls his eyes. "I'm ninety, kiddo."

"Yeah, and I'm dead. Just enjoying being forever young, right, lieutenant?"

A tear makes its way down. "Don't sweat it, Jason, I'm definitely enjoying it more than you do."

The son of Jupiter watches her carefully. "Hey." He finally says lowly. "I don't want you to be sad over me after all this years, alright? It's been two decades. You don't need to come back like this, every few years, both of us still looking the same and the only thing marking how much time has passed is the moss on my grave and the hair on Nico's head. I don't want that."

"I just-" She sighs. "wished things would've gone differently- not between you and me. I mean this." Her hand gestures vaguely at the graveyard. "You don't find someone like Jason Grace everyday."

"Try not to get killed, then you'll have eternity to do that." They both laugh, until Jason starts flickering and Nico reminds them of the time running out.

"I need to go-" The words are caught in the wind.

Reyna nods. "Send Piper my love," She says just as Jason's form dissolved yet again into nothing.

Suddenly conscious of the silver crown on her head, Lieutenant Reyna Avila reaches up to adjust it as the wind blows dry the tears on her face.


End file.
